We planned to go to North Cascade Park but found out that Route 20 thru the park was closed due to a landslide. We planned to drive on Route 20 from North Cascades to Glacier. The road was closed at the Colonial Creek Camgropund which is where we had our reservation. If we went it would mean we would have to take a 2 hour detour to get back on track. We decided to go anyway and we were very glad we did. North Cascades National Park is amazing and one of the most beautiful places we have been.
We stopped at Newhalen, an historic company town just before our campground to pick up some firewood. Newhalen was a town set up when they built a series of three dams to provide power for the metropolitan Seatle area known as the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. It is owned by Seattle City Light. When building the dams the company built housing and a post office and store for employees, To this day you have to be an employee of Seattle City Light or a contractor in order to live there. There are only about 15 house there. Newhalen is also where we found the North Cascade National Park Visitor Center.
We arrived at the campground and set up. Our sit was beutiful and surrounded by tall trees. We met another couple who owned a Geopro camper like ours and compared stories about our campers. Mick is a nuclear engineer and works as aonsultant in the nuclear energy field all over the world. He was at Maine Yankee, Seabrook, Vermont Yankee etc. He feels strongly that nuclear energy is coming back and that is much safer than before. Mick’s campsite was nearby so we talked with him quite a bit.
We had very poor cell service at the campground but occasionally a text would come through. The first morning we were there, I woke up and saw a text from John’s daughter, Molly. She was pregnant and due at the end of June. She texted that the her water broke and the baby would likely come that day. We had no service so couldn’t get any other information. I tried hooking up our StarLink Mini but had difficutly as we were under the trees. Finally, I went into the woods as far as the cord and extension cord would reach to a small clearing and we were able to get wifi for a short time. We found out the baby did come and she was doing fine. She would be in NICU for a bit as she was 4 weeks early.
After that exciting news, we headed out on a hike up the Thunder Knob Trail. Conviently, the trailhead was at our campground. It was beautiful. We saw glaciers, mountains, lakes and rivers everywhere we looked. On the way down we met a woman with a Buffalo Bills cap, originally from upstate New York. She and Donna hit it off and were talking nonstop like they knew each other for years. Part way into the conversatoin, they realized they were both Italian and decided that explained their connection.
After we returned from our hike, we headed back to Newhalen so we could call and check on Molly nad the baby. Both were doing well, We also stopped to check out the dams , Ladder Falls, and the Visitor Center again.
We loved our short visit to North Cascades National Park and definately want to retiurn. We hope to travel all the way over Route 20 and visit the northern side of the Cascades as well. The thing we really liked, other than the beauty was the feeling of being in a beautiful environment without crowds of people.